Royal Ballet star Sylvie Guillem had a special connection to Rudoph Nureyev. “Guillem was one of the dancers who benefited most dramatically from Nureyev’s mission to galvanise the Paris Opera. Her talent was let off the leash by the radical new repertory he commissioned and her ambition could barely keep pace with the speed at which he promoted her. Sometimes, however, she found Nureyev’s style disorienting. She thought he was pushing her too fast into some roles while withholding others from her.”